On October 7, my family and I were in Israel, along with many thousands of others, vacationing over Sukkot. We were staying in Jerusalem, and on Saturday morning when the sirens went off, we were jolted from our sleep. My hands were shaking as I rushed everyone down the hall into the stairwell that Shabbat morning.
We hid in the hotel’s bomb shelter alongside Muslims, Christians, and of course other Jews. I sat there with my five children, ranging from two to sixteen. We tried to distract the kids by playing games like I Spy.
The sirens stopped and we went to breakfast, thinking it was all over. The sirens then rang several more times that morning. By the third or fourth time, we went into hiding, with card games and snacks ready for the kids. At one point, a woman stormed into the bomb shelter and yelled, “Don’t let your kids outside the hotel! The terrorists are kidnapping children off the streets.”
My attempt to shield my children from fear failed as we sat there and panicked.
We were fortunately able to leave Israel on our original flight. In the airport, there were rumors that Hamas was attacking Ben Gurion and that everyone should stay away from glass. I couldn’t help but think, You mean, stay away from the entire building, which is made of glass?
When we arrived back home in sunny Los Angeles, not only were we not met with empathy, but we encountered actual animosity.
Seeing the anger and hostility towards Israel and Jewish people around the globe blew my mind. It was maddening trying to explain why Hamas was evil to so many companies and individuals. I was in shock.
So many people have been brainwashed about the war, or misunderstand the issues based on inaccurate moral equivalence theories. Even if the average person doesn’t know much or doesn’t care to learn more, the presentation of lies and false information is rampant on social media.
To combat this tidal wave of ignorance, I have put on my journalist hat and have been writing articles non-stop. Since that tragic day, I have been interviewing various people affected by October 7 a few times a week.
Some of those interviews included: righteous gentiles who have done something to help the Jewish cause, Nova Festival survivors, IDF soldiers, students on American campuses being attacked on a daily basis, and Jewish parents whose children were brutally murdered.
A few of these articles on Aish.com went viral, such as the story of Peter Tsadilas, a non-Jewish man who merely raised some Israeli flags at the diner he owns, and found that the next day his restaurant was utterly destroyed and defiled. He continued putting those flags up with pride.
I also interviewed an Israeli farmer, Oz Davidian, who lived near the Nova Festival site. Because he was very familiar with the back roads, he was able to save 120 kids who attended the party, driving back and forth through the line of fire, risking his life over and over again to save strangers.
Then there was a young IDF lone soldier in his twenties, Shlomi Stock, who was shot in the head three times. One of the bullets miraculously got stuck in the foam of the helmet. There is no reason he should be alive today; the Hand of G-d protected him.
And yet another man, Itay Shabi, a survivor of the Kibbutz Be’eri attack, was sitting just thirty centimeters from the terrorists who had infiltrated his home. He hid behind the branches of a palm tree. Somehow, he and his family were not spotted. They became invisible to their attackers.
Other stories are not as heartwarming.
A woman named Jen Airley lost her son in the war, and she has been encouraging Jews around the world to pray and unite. Another story came from a father, a diamond dealer named Alon Mesika. He had a son, Adir, who was killed at the Nova Festival. Instead of wallowing in his pain, he decided to give any Israeli soldier who wants to get engaged a diamond ring, free of charge.
Where else does such a nation exist? I’ll tell you where: Nowhere.
Mi ke’amcha Yisrael. This is the strength of our nation.
As beautiful as these stories are, it’s also disheartening to report on them. As we have these difficult conversations, I choose to look these people in the eye. I see their pain and their tears. I see their trauma as I watch them tell me their story.
I have come to realize that while I can write articles and tell their stories to audiences around the U.S. and abroad, it’s just not enough. It’s time to do something about it. Now is the time for action.
That’s where the WZO Congress comes into play.
The WZO (World Zionist Organization) was founded by Theodor Herzl in 1897, and fights to promote Zionism and the Jewish connection to the State of Israel. The World Zionist Congress (WZC) is the body of the movement, which makes decisions that shape the leadership and policies of national institutions and support Jewish communities around the world.
Aish Ha’am is a cohort committed to fighting antisemitism, advancing Jewish unity, educating every Jew, and defending Israel. Aish Ha’am is running in the upcoming World Zionist Congress elections, and so am I.
By securing seats at the Congress, we can procure resources for organizations like Aish Ha’am so they can accomplish their important work with more support.
In my opinion, voting is the best way to achieve action. I am running because I am standing up for the stories of these hundreds of people deeply affected by the events, trauma, and ramifications of October 7. We all need to stand up for their stories, because if we don’t, they will soon become our story. Every single Jewish American must vote because your vote is your power; your vote is your voice for change.
The only way we can secure seats is by banding together and voting. Every vote counts.
In this election, we need to vote like our lives depend on it. Because they do. Our future, and our voices, need resources. And that is what the Congress provides.
I urge you to please take two minutes and vote. I don’t care who you vote for, but find a group that speaks for your cause and take a minute to register.
I personally connect with the Aish Ha’am platform because the most pressing issues facing the Jewish people are the ones that Aish Ha’am addresses directly – the need for Jewish unity, combatting antisemitism, and providing education for all. Other candidates on the Aish Ha’am platform include Rabbi Steven Burg, the CEO of Aish HaTorah; Shabbos Kestenbaum; Tanya Zuckerbraut; Ari Ackerman; Bob Diener, owner of Hotels.com; influencer Lizzy Savetsky, and more. I am proud to be part of this slate that hosts a group of people who are so tirelessly fighting antisemitism and promoting Jewish education.
We need each other because together, and unified, we can fight hate, spread Jewish unity, and promote Jewish education, goals to which I have dedicated my life.
So, let’s do this. Together.
This is my way of fighting back. It can be your way, too. Register to vote here: https://aish.com/vote/SarahPachter.
